Thomas keech



(No Model.)

T. "KEECH.

DIRT COLLECTOR AND REMOVER FOR WASH BASINS. No; 335,363. Patented Feb. 2, 18-86, H

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DJ Wu- .UNITED STATES PATENT UFFTCE.

THOMAS KEECH, OF NE? YORK, N. Y.

DIRT COLLECTOR AND REMOVER FOR WASH-BASINS.

5PECII'ICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 335,363, dated February 2, 1886.

Application filed August 10, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that .I, THOMAS KEEOH, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dirt Collectors and Re movers for \Vash-Basins; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this application.

My invention relates to a novel device for removing any collection of trash or dirt which may collect in the discharge-orifice of awashbasin and on top of the usual strainer, which is located in the exit-pipe of the basin, to prevent articles or solid matters from passing struction, while at the same time it will efficiently answer the designed purpose, and can be most conveniently manipulated or operated by any inexperienced person using the wash-basin with which said device may be combined.

To these main ends and objects myinvention consists in the novel construction of dirt collector and remover which will be found hereinafter more fully described, and the peculiarities of which will be most particularly pointed out and defined in the claim of this specification.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my. invention relates to make and use the same, I will now proceed to more fully describe the construction and operation of my improved dirt collector and remover, referring by letters of reference to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and in which I have illustrated my invention carried out in that form in which I have so far successfully practiced it, and which is the best form now known to me.

Serial No. 174,020. (No model.)

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of so much of an ordinary stationary wash-basin and its connections as is necessary to be shown for the purpose of illustrating the application to the discharge-pipe of my improved dirt collector and remover. 'Fig. 2 is a similar section, but on an enlarged scale, and, unlike Fig. 1, showing the plug of the basin in place and the condition of the dirt collector and remover under such circumstances. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my novel device detached or removed from the basin, and Fig. 4 is a similar view showing one of the said devices of another size and shape.

In the several views the same part will be found designated by the same letter of refer ence.

A represents a portion of the bowl of an or dinary stationary wash-stand, and B the usual discharge-nozzle or coupling applied to the exit-orifice of the basin and to the waste-pipe leading off therefrom, while 0 represents an ordinary metallic plug or stopper, such as usually employed to stop up the dischargeorifice of the basin.

d represents a device composed simply of coiled wire, which is wound up into the shape and condition clearly illustratednamel y, with its lowermost or base portion of a diameter just about sufficient to loosely fill the bore of the dischargenozzle of the basin, and adapted to rest on the interior ledge or support occurring at the locality of the usual crossbars or strainer, e, of the ordinary wash-basin fixture, the said coiled wire being wound from the base helically upward in a frustuminal shape, but with the strands sufficiently far apart to permit a perfectly free passage through the device of the water to be discharged from the basin until the apex of the frustuminal portion of thebasin shall have been reached, from which point upwardly the wire is coiled closely together to form a sort of hollow cylindrical teat-like extension, as seen at f, which serves as a handle, by means of which the strainer or dirt collector and remover may be readily lifted out of its seat by the application of the forefinger and thumb of the person using the basin.

The frustuminal and openly wound portion of the device should be of such a height that the upwardly-projecting teat portion f, when the frustuminal part shall have been compressed, as illustrated at Fig. 2, will come wholly within the space between the seat of the dirt collector and remover and the under surface of the basin-plug when the latter shall have been forced down into its seat sufficiently to perfectly stop up the discharge-orifice of the basin.

The operation of this device will be readily understood'to be about as follows: Whenever the basin shall be plugged up'so as to contain a supply of water for washing purposes, the dirt'collector and remover will have its frustuminal portion compressed substantially into a plain or fiat condition on top of the ordinary strainer, 6; but whenever the plug ofthe basin is drawn to permit the escape of the water the device will automatically assume the condition illustrated at Fig. 1, (and seen at Fig. 3,) in which the openly wound frustuminal portion of the spring-wire device will be sufficiently opened to permit aperfectly free passage ot'the water to the discharge-pipe of the basin. This frustuminal portion of the dirt collector and remover operates perfectly as a strainer to prevent the passage down into the waste-pipe of any hair or other matter which may have collected in the wash -basin, and whenever deemed expedient or desirable the person using the basin can, by simply taking hold of the teat-like portion f, lift the entire device from its seat and out of the basin, together with all the hair and other dirt or trash which may have collected on the dirt-remover, and after having cleansed the latter can replace it within the discharge-orifice of the basin.

By constructing the device, as shown, of a single piece of wire, wound in the manner shown and described, an exceedingly cheap article is produced, and one which at the same time is perfectly efficient in its operation for the purpose designed. It is always in place,

and is not easily displaced, except purposely,

by the removal of the contrivance in the manand remover may be composed of a wire wound differently as to the size and shape of the device from what is shown in the other figures of the drawings, and it will be understood of course that I propose to have these devices manufactured of as many different shapes and sizes as may be necessary to supply the market with dirt collectors and removers adapted to all the different sizes and styles of wash-basin discharge-pipes and plugs in general or extensive use.

While it is cheaper and more desirable in other respects to make the entire device or contrivance of asingle piece of wire, as shown and described, the frustuminal and compressible portion may be made of wire, as shown, and the teat-like portion, which projects up wardly to serve as a handle for the extrication of the device, may be made of a separate piece of wire, or of some other material of a difi'erent shape from what is shown in the drawings.

WVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A dirt collector and remover composed of a spring-like or compressible strainer-like portion, formed or provided with a handlelike portion and adapted to rest .upon a suitable seat within the discharge pipe of the basin, and to be easily compressed when the plug of the basin shall be inserted, and to antomatically spring up when the plug shall be removed, (so that the handle portion shall be easy of access,) all substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of July, 1885.

THOMAS KEEGH.

In presence of- WM. H. MYER, F. H. JoNEs. 

